Escape to Thailand: 12 serene landscapes that will drift you to paradise

Winners of 2016's Photo of the Year competition were sent on the photo commission of a lifetime. Soak in the tranquil waters and magnificent islands of Thailand through the lens of Christopher Roche...

The view from Cape Kudu (Christopher Roche)

Sunset over Koh Yao Noi (Christopher Roche)

Boats of Hong Island (Christopher Roche)

The view from the Lagoon (Christopher Roche)

Deserted Island (Christopher Roche)

Long Tail Boats off Koh Yao Noi (Christopher Roche)

The beach below Cape Kudu (Christopher Roche)

The lonely swing (Christopher Roche)

Watching the sun set over Layana Resort on Koh Lanta (Christopher Roche)

Long Tail Boat off Hong Island (Christopher Roche)

Early morning, Cape Kudu (Christopher Roche)

Meet the photographer

Christoper Roche

"Having recently been to Mount Kailash in Tibet, Chechnya and Kurdistan, it was suggested that I might enjoy visiting Thailand’s northern hill tribes. But I had in mind a plan to visit the country’s famous shores instead and was given some great options. The challenge was to try and shoot something original, so I headed for the lesser-developed islands and focused my lens on seascapes and landscapes (particularly the fabulous limestone karst formations). I aimed to capture a sense of calm, leisure and rest – as that was what I was hoping for myself – and that is exactly what I got."